Nothing can change if minds do not. As technology increasingly takes on the role of management, more emphasis falls on the role of leaders. Neuroscience is uncovering approaches to influence that leaders can use to enlist others to share their beliefs and commitments, ranging from the framing of information to the crafting of incentive systems that fit the behavior of the brain.
In this episode of The Better Question, EYQ Fellow Chris Meyer and Yassmin Abdel-Magied are joined by Tali Sharot, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, and Seth Godin, blogger, entrepreneur and author of numerous bestsellers, including Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers.
Chris and Yassmin's guests discuss what it takes to change a person’s opinion leading to action – or restraint, including the need to convey that “people like us do things like this” in a given situation, which is key to changing behavior. It is through the application of “practical empathy,” that leaders can learn to define behaviors in these terms.
Learning outcomes
- Exhibiting goodwill and practical empathy enables us to find common ground, without which there is no hope of dealing with real differences.
- Understanding the advancement in the emerging sciences of behavior will enable senior leaders to work effectively with key stakeholders, from customers to employees.
- New tools are increasingly available that improve an individual’s ability to understand personal barriers and behaviors and influence others more effectively.
- In a world that increasingly connects cultures all over the world, finding common ground and exhibiting practical empathy will be even harder. To do this successfully, business leaders must embed it into the organization’s value system.
For your convenience, full text transcript of this podcast is also available. Read the transcript.
Presenters

Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Writer, engineer and broadcaster
Christopher Meyer
Author. Innovator. Consultant. Entrepreneur.Organizers
Gautam Jaggi
Director, Global Insights, Research Institute | Global Markets – EY KnowledgePodcast
Episode 11
Duration 30m 43s
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